Berlin, Germany

Advertisment

German police said on Sunday (December 22) that a man accused of killing at least five people and injuring hundreds more after driving a car into a crowded Christmas market is now facing charges of murder and attempted murder.

The suspect, identified by German media as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, is a 50-year-old psychiatrist from Saudi Arabia who arrived in Germany in 2006. He was taken into custody late on Saturday after the incident in Magdeburg on Friday night.

Also read: World leaders condemn deadly Christmas market attack in Germany; express 'solidarity in grief'

Advertisment

Police have confirmed that the suspect, described as an anti-Islam activist with a history of disputes with state authorities, has been charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder. Reports also claim he had previously made online death threats against German citizens.

Germany probes early warnings about the Christmas market attack suspect

Germany’s Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, said that investigators who are probing the incident will also review the actions of authorities in response to earlier warnings about the suspect.

Advertisment

"Germany's Federal Criminal Police (BKA) is supporting the investigations by the authorities in Saxony-Anhalt," Faeser told German national newspaper Bild am Sonntag.

Also read: Saudi Arabia warned Germany about Christmas market attack suspect: Report

She added, "The investigating authorities will clear up all the background. They are also investigating exactly what information has already been provided in the past and how it was followed up."

Germany's Office for Migration and Refugees said on Saturday (December 21) that it had received a tip-off about the suspect last year through social media. This information was reportedly passed on to investigative authorities at the time. "This, just like any of the many other indications, was taken seriously," the migration office stated.

According to German news website Der Spiegel, the Saudi secret service had previously alerted German officials about the suspect on multiple occasions. However, German media reported that a risk assessment conducted by German state and federal police last year determined that the suspect posed "no specific danger."

(With inputs from agencies)